Room cooling unit



July 7, 1936. G. N. BENKLY ROOM COOLING UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 26, 1932 I715 Attorney G. N.- BENKLY ROOM COOLING UNIT July 7, 1936.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 26, 1932 M67216] Cz eorge ALBen y EL? M, m h S Attol ney Patented July 7, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE amen This invention relates to air coolers and more particularly to the cooling and ventilating of enclosed spaces occupied by human beings, for example, living rooms, oiiices, cars, and the like.

The invention is particularly adapted for application to a unit type of apparatus for cooling and dehumidifying enclosed spaces of the general type referred to. To insure maximum comfort in such places, particularly during the summer months, it is desirable to maintain room temperatures and humidity as near as practicable to certain predetermined values and to keep the air in circulation'in order-to absorb the heat and moisture including that given oil. by the occupants. In this connection it should be kept in mind that such predetermined values oi. temperature and humidity may to advantage be varied to correspond to some extent with changes in conditions.

An important object of this invention is to provide novel and advantageous air-cooling meansjof the general character specified. Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and advantageous as well as'simple and eflicient unit of the general character described. It is also an object of the invention to provide a simple and efllcient cooling and dehumidifying unit of portable character and including all elements necessary to its operation to enable it to be readily installed in any place in which it is to be used. It is a further object of the invention to provide a cooling and dehumidifying unit adapted to use as a refrigerating medium only the air from the enclosure in which it is installed. Another object of the invention is to provide -a cooling and dehumidifying unit in which the heat of compression and the heat generated by the prime mover are removed or densed from the room at the expansion end of tends to take up heat and is itself cooled.

by evaporation and the necessity for providing drain lines is eliminated.

With the above and other objects in view, the nature of which will more fully appear as the description proceeds the invention consists in the novel features including those of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as herein more fully described and illustrated.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a horizontal type of, apparatus embodying the invention;

and

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken through the axis of a vertical embodiment of-the invention.

I Referring to Fig. 1 there is disclosed a horizontal form of the apparatus which preferably includes a heat-insulated cabinet I!) divided into two main compartments insulated from each other and, as shown, somewhat irregular in shape. One of these compartments contains the 2 compression side of the refrigerating system which may include an actuating device such as an electric motor H, a compressor 52 preferably of the rotary type, a cooler is for the compressed air, and a Ian M whereby air from space exterior to the roomis caused to enter the compartment through an inlet I5 and, after cooling or taking heat from the compressed air cooler or intercooler iii, the compressor l2, and'the electric motor I I, to pass through an outlet I6 to a point exterior to the room. The other compartment contains a rotary air motor ll, preferably a turbine, which acts as an air cooler in that the air in expanding and doing work As illustrated in Fig. 1 the electric motor H, compressor [2 and air cooler or motor H are mounted in alignment on a horizontal partition or floor I8 and preferably are connected by a shaft or line of 'shafting I9. The electric motor 40 and compressor may be separated from the air motor I? by a suitable insulated partition 20. Preferably the electric motor H is arranged near the air cooler l1 and the compressor I2 is located near the end wall of the cabinet'where it is 4 connected by means of a downwardly curved duct 2! with an inlet chamber- 22 containing a filter 22a and communicating with the interior of the room through an inlet opening 23. The

fan M is preferably located on shaft H between the electric motor and the compressor.

Beneath the floor l8 and separated from the chamber 22 by a; partition 24 is a compartment containing the compressed air cooler or intercooler |3 which may include a pluralityoglon Q gitudinal tubes provided with suitable heat transfer fins and connected atone end with a.

tubular member 25 receiving compressed air from the compressor I2 and at the other end with a hollow connector 26 communicating with the combined air motor and cooler II.

In operation the air is drawn in through the inlet 23 to the. compressor I2 and forced therefrom into the compressed air cooler or intercooler l3 from which it passes to the air cooler or motor II where it expands and does work, at the same time cooling the air which passes from the air motor through an air diffusing funnel 26a, to a suitably shaped passage or chamber 21 over the top of the compartment containing the electric motor and out of the cabinet through a suitable grating or the like 28. The fan it draws the air downwardly through the inlet duct l5 and through an opening 29 below the floor l8 to the intercooler, being compelled to pass the full length thereof by means of a suitable baille member 30, which deposited, provision is made of condensation tubing 32 leading the moisture to the top of the baffle 30 and provided with a trap to prevent air leakage between the compartments. Pro vision is also made of condensation tubing 33 connecting the intercooler l3 with a condensation receiver 34 from which the moisture may be forced upwardly through a tube 35 to the batfie 30 under control of a valve 36 in said tube and automatic device such as float control valve.

The air from the air cooler and motor I! may be so cold that it would be undesirable to discharge such a cold current directly into the room. This condition may be avoided by admitting air from the room to the air cooler compartment through an inlet 3! controlled by a damper 38. The current of air from the airdifiusing funnel 26a would induce a current through the inlet 31. In order to supply fresh outside air to the room, there is provided an inlet 39 connected to space exterior to the room and controlled by a damper 40.

The complete operation wouldbe substantially as follows: Air is withdrawn from the room to be cooled through inlet 23, chamber 22 and filter 22a by the compressor I2 where the air is compressed to a suitable pressure, to intercooler I3 over which air from space exterior I to the room is drawn through inlet l5 circulated by fan l4 and caused to pass over the electric motor I l and compressor l2 and then to a space outside of the room through the outlet l6 and any suitable connection. The temperature of the air is reduced in the intercooler l3 without ,passage 21, its temperature is considerably below that of the room to be cooled. Moisture deposited in the chamber 21 passes downwardly through drip pipe 32, provided with a suitable trap, to the drip or condensation pan 30. Condensation from the intercooler I3 is supplied to the condensation pan through the pipe 33, receiver 34 and pipe 35. The condensed moisture from the interior of the intercooler I3 is very considerable in amount in comparison with that deposited in the chamber 21.

The moisture from the condensation pan drips 1 over the intercooler l3 and the heat from the latter evaporates the moisture which is carried to space exterior to the room. Thus wet bulb instead of dry bulb temperatures are obtained in the intercooling surface and the moisture] of the room is dissipated without the necessity of resorting to drain lines.

It will be evident that the air motor and cooler I! may be and is utilized to take from the electric motor II a large part of this load. In fact at least 60 to of the power input into the air motor or cooler must be recuperated in practice, for otherwise the cost of running such a unit becomes prohibitive. If desired an overrunning clutch may be provided, preferably at 25 the connection between the shaft l9 and the rotor of the air motor I 1, so that in starting the apparatus the electric motor II will be relieved of the load of turning said rotor and later the rotor may act on the shaft in the same di- 30 rection as the electric motor and therefore assist the same.

In Fig. 2 there is illustrated a vertical form of the cooling unit. A motor Ila. is located above a compressor l2a which draws in air 5 i From the air motor "a, the cooled air is discharged through a cold air diffusing funnel into a chamber or passage 21a provided in its upper wall with a concave recess above a funnel 261;. so that the cooled air will be directed downwardly and outwardly before passing upwardly and out of the cabinet through one or more gratings 28a or the like. In this form, a fan Ila is mounted on the shaft l9a above the electric motor as well as the compressor and forces air. introduced through a side inlet l5a downwardly through the cabinet to cool the electric motor, the compressor, and the compressed air cooler before discharge through an outlet lGa.

In this form also there is a condensation tube 32a to drain moisture to a drip pan 30a above the compressed air cooler, and a receiver 34a from which moisture collected from the compressed air cooler l3a. is discharged through a pipe 3511 with a valve 3641 into the drip pan 30a. In this form also, it is desirable to have an inlet 31a to admit air from the room to the chamber 21a, and to provide a damper 38a to con:

trol the passage of air through the inlet.

If desired fresh air may be added to the room air through suitable connections including an inlet 390 at the base of the cabinet and a damper 40a for controlling the amount of air passing through this inlet.

It should be understood that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts and that certain features may be used without others without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

1 Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A self contained room cooling unit for location directly within the space to be cooled, comprising a prime mover, air compressing and cooling means including a compressor driven by theprime mover and taking its supply of air from .the room to be cooled, a compressed air motor driven by air from the air compressing and cooling means and exhausting into the room the 1 air cooled by its expansion in driving the compressed air motor, and means for collecting moisture of condensation from the air passing through said compressed air motor and vaporizing it in connection with cooling the compressed air.

2. A self contained room cooling unit for location directly within the space to be cooled, comprising a prime mover, a compressor driven by the prime mover and taking its supply of air from the room to be cooled, a cooler for the compressed air, a compressed air motor driven by air from the compressor and the cooler and exhausting into the room the air cooled by its expansion in driving the compressed air motor, and means for collecting the moisture condensedat said compressed air motor and causing it to be vafporized in connection with the cooling of the compressed air. 3. A self contained room cooling unit for 10- i cation directly within the space to be cooled,

comprising a prime mover, a compressor driven by the prime mover and taking its supply of air from the room to be cooled, at compressedair cooler, a compressed air motor driven by air from the compressed air cooler and exhausting into the room the air cooled by its expansion in driving the compressed air motor,.means for passing cooling air drawn from outside of the room over the compressed air cooler, the motor and compressor and discharged'outside of the room, and means for vaporizing on the cooler moisture condensed from the air passed through the compressor.

4. In a' self contained room cooling unit for location within a space to be cooled, means for compressing a refrigerant and then releasing it into a region of lower pressure to cool room air passed through the unit and to condense moisture therefrom before return to the room,

means for removing the heat of compression by the use of cooling air drawn from the outside air and returned thereto, and means for utilizing moisture condensed from the room air to assist the cooling air in removing the heat of compression. v

5. In a self contained room cooling unit for location in the space to be cooled, means for drawing room air through the cooling unit and restoring it to the room, means for compressing a refrigerant and then releasing it into a region of lower pressure to cool room air passing through the unit andto condense moisture therefrom, means for removing the heat of compression by the use of cooling air drawn from outside of the room and then returned, and means for dissipating moisture condensed from the room air by utilizing the heat of compression.

driven by said prime mover and drawing air from the room to be cooled; a compressed air cooler receiving air from the compressor; a compressed air motor driven by the compressed air from the compressed air cooler and exhausting, into the room, air cooled by expansion in driving the compressed air motor and dehumidifled in the compressed air cooler and by its expansion in the motor; a casing of insulating material divided by an insulating partition into two main compartments-one containing the prime mover, the compressor and the compressed air cooler and the other the compressed air motor, said casing having a duct to supply air directly from the room to the compressor, a duct to deliver air from the compressed air motor to the room, a duct to deliver outside air for cooling to the first mentioned compartment near the compressed air cooler and a duct to discharge outside of the room air from this. compartment after passing over the prime prime mover for causing a flow of cooling air through' the first mentioned compartment; and

means causing the moisture condensed in the conditioning action to drip on the compressed air cooler and be evaporated by the heat therefrom and then to be carried to the outside air by the flow of cooling air.

GEORGE N. BENKLY. 

